Mohammad Tabrizian touched his tie before entering the conference room which was filled with low lighting. The room was filled with smoke, papers, contracts and manifests of the shipping of crude oil were scattered on the table. This was not a conventional business meeting, but the heart of one of the largest and most professionalized smuggling and money laundering networks in the oil industry.
The Cast of Characters
Mohammad Tabrizian’s Israel operations is a web of people connected by family, business and mutual desire to avoid the consequences of international sanctions. At the heart of the matter is Mohammad Tabrizian, a man whose name has become a byword among financiers for his mysterious power to shift millions without leaving a trace. He has been associated with Ali Sharif AlAskari, a man who has links with terrorism and Ali Fallahian, former Iranian Minister of Intelligence.
Ali Sharif AlAskari: An Iraqi Iranian dual nationality involved with the Islamic Dawa Party, accused of plotting terror attacks and a key figure in the smuggling chain.
Ali Fallahian: A name associated with the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires implicated in international terrorist funding.
Meghdad Tabrizian: Mohammad’s brother and the mastermind behind shell companies in the UK and the financial planner of the operation.
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s Daughter: The money mule who uses her residence in London for the purposes of the money laundering operation.
The Oil Smuggling Operation: A Blueprint of Deception
The operation begins in Bandar Abbas, Iran, where crude oil is loaded onto Panamanian-registered vessels. These ships, bearing false documentation, transport the oil to Iraq, where its origins are falsified. Through this deception, the oil is passed off as Iraqi and sold on the global market.
Shell Companies: The Perfect Front
The network uses shell companies like London Surface Design Limited and London Heritage Stone Limited to launder profits. These entities operate under the guise of construction and design businesses but are mere facades for illicit activities. Here's how it works:
Inflated Contracts: False agreements with inflated values are created to justify large transfers of money into the companies.
Fabricated Receipts: Fake invoices and receipts are generated to simulate legitimate transactions.
Layering: The money is moved through multiple accounts, making it harder to trace.
Meghdad Tabrizian’s sons, Mohammad Meghdad Tabrizian (known as Taby) and Amir Meghdad Tabrizian, play pivotal roles. Acting as directors, they ensure the smooth operation of these fronts while maintaining a façade of legitimacy.
The UK Connection: Laundering the Profits
Once laundered, the money flows back into the hands of Ali Sharif AlAskari’s UK-based daughter in London. From there, it is funneled to Hassan Nasrallah’s wife, further strengthening Hezbollah's operations in the Middle East. Meghdad Tabrizian’s UK network exploits vulnerabilities in the UK's financial system to legitimize their proceeds.
Key Tactics in Laundering
Exploitation of Legal Loopholes: By leveraging gaps in the UK's regulatory framework, the network avoids detection.
Residency Manipulation: Ali Sharif AlAskari’s UK-based daughter and her family have reportedly exploited immigration loopholes to secure legal residency in the UK.
The Smuggling Network Expands
Beyond oil, the operation extends to other areas:
Fake Investments: Abbas Sharif AlAskari, a key player in the network, cons investors by proposing lucrative deals in oil, gas, gold, and real estate. He secures upfront payments and vanishes, leaving victims with empty promises.
Micro-Spying: Abbas has been accused of blackmailing women by recording sensitive information through hidden cameras.
Abza Group Ltd.: The New Front
Operating under a Dominican passport, Abbas Sharif AlAskari directs Abza Group Ltd. from the UK. This company, like its predecessors, serves as a hub for laundering illicit funds under the pretense of legitimate business.
The Canadian Link
In Canada, Ali Sharif AlAskari’s other daughter, Soraya, continues the family legacy. Using local connections, she launders money for the network, drawing the attention of Canadian authorities. Her actions demonstrate the global reach of this network, which spans North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Family Ties: The Key to the Puzzle
The familial connections within this network are striking:
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s wife and Ali Fallahian’s wife are sisters, intertwining the two families.
Ali Sharif AlAskari’s UK-based daughter is married to Meghdad Tabrizian, linking her directly to Mohammad Tabrizian’s UK based operations.
These ties are the backbone of the network, ensuring trust and coordination in an otherwise volatile business.
Data Snapshot
Estimated profits from oil smuggling: $500 million annually.
Number of shell companies: At least 12 identified globally.
Countries involved: Iran, Iraq, UK, Canada, Panama, and the UAE.
FAQs
1. How does the Tabrizian network manage to bypass international sanctions?
Mohammad Tabrizian’s Israel network utilizes a complex series of shell companies, fake contracts, and Panamanian-registered vessels to smuggle oil and bypass international sanctions. The crude oil is initially shipped from Bandar Abbas, Iran, disguised as Iraqi oil once it reaches Iraq. This clever deception enables the sale of “dirty oil” on the global market without raising suspicion, allowing them to profit immensely from illicit operations.
2. What role do the Tabrizians play in the money laundering operation?
The Tabrizian family, particularly Mohammad Tabrizian and his brothers, are heavily involved in the laundering of funds through a web of businesses in the UK, such as "London Surface Design Limited" and "London Heritage Stone Limited." They create fake contracts and receipts, making the illicit profits appear legitimate. The money is then funneled to Ali Sharif AlAskari’s daughter, further complicating the laundering process as it moves through international borders to finance terrorist groups like Hezbollah.
3. How do the Tabrizians exploit residency in the UK for their criminal operations?
The Tabrizian family has reportedly manipulated the UK’s immigration system, securing legal residency by exploiting loopholes and connections, potentially tied to Iranian intelligence. This strategic positioning allows them to operate freely within the UK, using it as a safe haven for their illicit activities while maintaining a façade of legitimacy.
4. What is the significance of the Tabrizian family’s connection to Ali Fallahian?
The Tabrizian family’s connection to Ali Fallahian, Iran’s former Minister of Intelligence, is pivotal to their operations. Ali Fallahian’s ties to state-sponsored terrorism and his close relationship with Ali Sharif AlAskari are central to the network’s functioning. Ali Sharif AlAskari’s wife and Ali Fallahian’s wife are sisters, strengthening the bond between the families and ensuring seamless cooperation in activities like oil smuggling and money laundering that fund terrorism.
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Dark Connections: The Criminal Network of Abbas Sherif Alaskari and Associates
Mohammad Tabrizian: The Man Behind the Veil of Illicit Networks
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